Academy Newcomers Span Range of Disciplines

Seven UC Berkeley faculty members were among 227 people around the world who have been elected Monday to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, an honorary society that focuses on public policy research.

The seven elected were Alexis Bell, professor of chemical engineering, F. Michael Christ, professor of mathematics, Christopher Edley Jr., professor and dean of Boalt Hall School of Law, Saul Perlmutter, professor of physics, Mary Eleanor Power, professor of integrative biology, Jeremy Thorner, professor of molecular and cell biology and Margaret Weir, professor of sociology and political science.

Founded in 1780 by former president John Adams, the academy functions primarily as a public policy research institute that studies science and global security, social policy and American institutions, humanities and culture and education.

“We focus on long-term analysis and study critical social issues facing the country, with an emphasis of looking at issues in a nonpartisan way,” said academy spokesperson Paul Karoff.

The academy will induct this year’s class on Oct. 6 at its headquarters in Cambridge, Mass.

The UC Berkeley faculty elected to the 4,000-member international community said they were pleased to be inducted into the organization.

“I am very excited and very grateful to all of the people who supported my nomination,” Thorner said.

Thorner is a biochemist who studies unicellular microbe baker’s yeast, which is used in approximately half of the world’s supply of insulin for Type I diabetes. Thorner said he plans to work with the academy in the future.

“Getting this kind of accolade isn’t just a free ride,” Thorner said. “It comes with some responsibilities.”

Power, who studies ecology, said she was “astonished and very grateful” to be elected to the academy. Power specializes in studying river food webs, which are used to predict future environmental changes due to factors such as global warming.

Campus officials said they were impressed by the variety of departments represented by the inductees.

“What’s striking about this group is not only that they’re stellar faculty, but in my mind they represent the breadth of excellence on campus,” said Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost George Breslauer.

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